Shifting Stone
by RedDeadWriter
Summary: Ba Sing Se had been devastated by the Fire Nations invasion four years earlier. The vast city is still recovering, but it needs help. When the Earth King decides that the Dai Li should be re-instituted, could it be the city's salvation or its downfall?
1. Prologue

**Better Summary:** Ba Sing Se was devastated by the Fire Nation occupation. The vast city is still recovering, but it needs help. When the Earth King decides to have the Dai Li re-instituted for that reason, many people call him insane, as the Dai Li were the reason the city fell in the first place. But is it possible that the new Dai Li could be just the kind of salvation the city needs? Or will history repeat itself and lead to the city's downfall once again? Told mostly through the eyes of two sisters who joined the Dai Li just a few weeks before the story starts.

**Rated:** T for mild violence and language

**Note:** This is a very OC-centric story. Canon characters are in the story but very rarely.

Reviews(good or bad) are always appreciated. Please share your thoughts!

**Shifting Stone**

**Prologue**

Lieutenant Tai Sen, second-in-command of the new Dai Li, established only two weeks prior, was admittedly a bit flustered. He quickly paced through the narrow halls of the headquarters building, clenching three small, tightly wrapped scrolls in his hand. The structure itself had been built only weeks before, but he had made a habit of knowing each and every hallway, doorway, and speck of dirt in the facility. It was extremely easy to get lost if you didn't know the way; each section was built almost identical to the last. Tai Sen was never really sure why it was built that way, but it was Captain Sobel's decision. And Tai Sen didn't argue with the Captain. Except for today, that is.

Tai Sen was a simple man. His face was clean shaven and the traditional black and green robes of Dai Li agent he wore were spotless. Without his uniform, he would be indistinguishable in a crowd if not for one feature; a black patch tied around his head, covering his right eye.

At last, he arrived at his destination: a pair of grey stone doors, not unlike the rest in the building, except for a tiny golden plaque on the front which read "Captain's Office."

As he rested his hand on the doorknob, it was shaking ever so slightly. A solitary bead of sweat traced a path down the side of his forehead, which he quickly wiped off with his sleeve. He had never questioned the captain's orders before, but something about the new candidates… it just didn't feel right. Maybe there was a mistake. Whatever it was, Tai Sen had to know.

Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and casually opened the door to Captain Sobel's office. The room mirrored most of the others in the headquarters: ten feet tall, wide, and long, bare walls, no windows, no pictures, just a few torches casting a weak glow around the room. In the center of the room was a desk. Behind the desk sat a man about fifteen years his senior, a thin, tightly braided beard running down his uniform. He was about a head shorter than the younger officer, as well as a bit stocky, but one look from his sharp, daunting eyes would deter most ordinary men.

He looked up from his work. "Lieutenant Tai Sen," he said with a surprisingly pleasant tone. "I've been expecting you. Did the Earth King approve my list of candidates?"

"Of course, Captain. Just as you requested. Thirty preliminary candidates for the new Dai Li. All passing their entrance exams in the top ninety-fifth percentile. All earthbenders. All below the age of eighteen, with a few exceptions for officers, of course." Tai Sen quickly placed the scrolls neatly at the head of the desk.

"Good. Very good indeed." Sobel slid one scroll toward himself and peruse the list of names.

Tai Sen was wondering how he would go about asking his question when Sobel asked it for him. "There is something troubling you, isn't there, Lieutenant?" he said without even glancing up from a scroll he was browsing. "Something about the list, I'm guessing?"

Tai Sen was thrown a bit off guard by the Captain's perceptiveness, but quickly shrugged it off. "Um… Yes actually, Captain. I would like you to take another look at this one in particular." He unraveled one of the untouched scrolls and smoothed it out in front of him. Captain Sobel took a quick glance at the names.

The captain grinned lightly, leaning back in his chair a bit. "I see your son made it past the prelims. Congratulations. He'll make fine agent."

"Thank you, sir. I'm honored, I truly am, but that's not the reason I'm worried. It's these two." Tai Sen extended his index and middle fingers across the page, pointing out two names:

Ren and Miyumi.

The captain's smile was immediately wiped from his face, replaced by the stern, solemn guise that the Lieutenant was used to. He sat forward, resting his chin on top of his folded hands, and shot a curious look at his lieutenant. "What's the problem with these two? They seem perfect fits to me. Both scored well above average. Both completed the required physical tests as well as earthbending test." Captain Sobel leaned even closer to Tai Sen, cocking an eyebrow. "Is it because they're sisters? Are you suspecting favoritism in my judgment?"

"Of course not, sir!" the Lieutenant barked, a little louder than intended. He quickly calmed himself and continued. "I was just a little confused, is all. Ren especially. I was the one over-seeing her test. She's a bit…coarse."

"I hope you didn't expect _all_ the trainees to be green as grass," said Sobel. "I'm glad to have someone with experience."

Tai Sen gave him a strange look. "I wasn't aware that being arrested multiple times for street fighting qualified as experience."

The older man waved away his concern. "The point is that the girl knows how to fight. She scored highest of all the candidates in close-quarters combat, as well as showing great ability to adapt and improvise."

Tai Sen didn't seem entirely convinced. "Another thing: her earthbending. The test…"

"She passed!" Sobel blurted defensively. Tai Sen immediately tensed, standing straighter, once again thrown off-guard by the Captain's unpredictability today. _Why did he feel so strongly about this?_ thought Tai Sen. _It almost seemed like it was something personal._

"Yes, she did pass," Tai Sen continued cautiously, "But that's just it. She passed, reached the bar, met the standard. But she didn't _exceed_. Dai Li agents are supposed to be the best earthbenders that Ba sing Se, and the Earth Nation, has to offer."

"Maybe in the old days, Lieutenant," sighed Sobel. "But those were the days of treachery and failure. Long Feng and his predecessors chose extremely skilled benders, but skipped out on things that mattered, like loyalty, intelligence, and intuition. We don't want to be training another batch of drones, brainwashed into blindly following their orders as Long Feng had done. We want men and woman who can think for themselves, and who are loyal to their country."

Hardly seeming satisfied but seeing no point in pressing the point, Tai Sen moved on. "The other girl, Miyumi; you named as her as one of her officers because her experience in the field, correct?"

"I did. She served two years as city guard, getting glowing recommendations from her two of superiors, both citing her outstanding leadership qualities."

"But that was before the coup. During the Fire Nation's invasion, she apparently experienced some devastating emotional trauma."

Sobel shrugged. "Water under the bridge. I examined her myself, Lieutenant. She's perfect for this. As is her sister, which brings me back to my first question: what exactly is your problem with these two?"

"Well to tell you the truth, sir, I wasn't so much worried about their skill level or even the fact they're sisters than who their father is."

The room was silent for a moment, Sobel and Taisen staring each other down for a few lingering seconds. Then Sobel burst out laughing. Now it was Tai Sen's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Something is… funny, sir?"

"No, Lieutenant…. No, no," Sobel huffed in-between breaths. "It's just that I never took you as a cynical man. You always seemed so optimistic about everything."

"Sir?" asked Tai Sen, still not understanding.

"You believe evil is something hereditary then, is that it?"

Now he was completely lost. "I don't think I'm following you."

"Forgive me. I get bit too philosophical sometimes. Let me simplify: You think that because these kids," he scanned the list again for a split-second, "Ren and Miyumi, had a cold-hearted, bastard-traitor of a father, they might turn out the same way?"

"Not necessarily, sir…," Tai Sen said, shifting uneasily. "Well, maybe. Look sir, the point is, I don't think we should risk botching the entire program for two candidates. The Earth King said it himself; this is nothing but a test run. The slightest mistake, and the program will be scrapped."

The older man stared up at the lieutenant with a hard look. Tai Sen, ever the logical one, was absolutely right. The Earth King had been working for the past three years rebuilding Ba Sing Se after the devastating coup by the Dai Li and the subsequent occupation by the Fire Nation. Resources had been scarce, and still were. Destroyed sections of the city were still yet to be rebuilt and thousands of refugees were unable to return home. Despite this, the Earth King had showed incredible faith in him by even allowing the Dai Li to be reinstituted, let alone divert resources to the group.

Tai Sen spoke up again, "Sir, I would think you of all people knew how dangerous their father was. If his children are even the slightest bit like he was, it could be…disastrous."

That statement struck him harder than boulder to the face. Was he really willing to risk the program? Yes, he decided. He was done hiding in fear. That's what he'd done three years ago, what did that get him? Too many good men dead and too many bad ones got off easy. But no more. He wouldn't stand by and watch this happen again, with him sitting idle in the background. He had to make up for his past sins and the sins of the people he had once called "comrades".

Sobel let out a big sigh and stood up from his chair. He gathered all of the scrolls, rolled them up tightly and placed them side-by-side in the lower left drawer of his desk.

"Lieutenant, your concern is duly noted and I appreciate you being honest with me on the matter. That's exactly the reason I chose you as my right hand man; you keep me honest and you aren't afraid to speak your mind," he said, walking around his desk to the back of the room. As came to the door and twisted the handle, he slowly turned back to Tai Sen with a reassuring look in his eye. "But let me make myself perfectly clear; I know exactly what I'm doing."


	2. One: Appearances Can Be Deceiving

**Note: **Thanks for all the reviews so far. They really do make my day, so don't feel afraid to express your opinion, whatever it may be; your critique could serve to better my story in the future!

**Shifting Stone**

**Chapter One: Appearances Can Be Deceiving**

The Jasmine Dragon was a swarm of activity. The torches lining the wall seemed to mirror the energy of the teashop, flaring widely and casting magnificent, dancing shadows across the floor. Most tables were filled with flirting couples, small groups of friends, and the occasional loner, sipping tea. A single, bespectacled busboy sprinted from table to booth to counter and back to table, trying desperately to meet the demands of the customers. The noise of the crowd should have been overwhelming, but two girls sitting at a corner booth seemed completely oblivious.

"The guy did _what_?" giggled Miyumi loudly, leaning in to listen more intently. Miyumi was considered a cute girl by many who knew her. She was tall and thin. Fine brown hair, kept neatly together in a ponytail, accompanied a soft, round face that almost never ceased to smile.

"He sent a rock flying straight at the instructor's head!" said Ren, resting her back lightly against the booth, her hands folded behind her head. "You should have been there, Miyumi; the instructor was so ticked! I thought he was gonna throw the poor kid out the window."

Ren was almost the complete opposite of her sister. What little hair she had was not very well kept, as if she'd only rolled out of bed a few minutes before. Under her dull-blue eyes was a paper thin scar, tracing an inch long mark across the bridge of her nose. Her clothing was also significantly different, her messy tunic and stained pants contrasting greatly with her sister's emerald dress.

"Oh, man," said Miyumi gleefully. "I really wish I could have been there, Ren. But I was testing some of the candidates myself."

Ren raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Anything interesting happen?"

"Hmm? Oh, no," she replied, sighing. "I have to say, if I were to base this career off the first two weeks, I think I might grow bored out of my mind. These trainees are so _straight-laced_. It's almost irritating. They're always so serious and gloomy, and they almost never smile. And don't even get me started on the paperwork."

Miyumi ended her rant with a scowl as she took a quick sip of her tea. Ren still couldn't believe her sister had made it as an officer of the Dai Li. Sure, her previous position as a city guard had looked good on her resume, but Ren (along with everyone else she knew) was still confused as to how she even got_ that_ job. Every other Dai Li agent—or city guard, for that matter—she had ever seen had had the same stern "no nonsense" expression. And Miyumi smiled too much. Either the higher-ups were more lax than she thought, or there was another side to her sister she wasn't seeing.

"Well, I'm glad you made it in, sis. To tell you the truth, I was actually a little worried for a while. Ever since what happened during the Fire Nation occupation, I thought you'd never…" Ren realized what she had said and tried to catch herself, but it was too late. Miyumi's grin had already faded and her gaze dropped to her cup. "Oh, sis. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to…

"No, it's fine, Ren. Really." Her voice was distant. "It's just something I'd rather just forget about." She looked at Ren again. Her bright smile was returning, but it wasn't as strong as before. Ren could tell she was still trying to push the memories of that day to the back of her mind. "Let's talk about something else. Like your test; give you any trouble?"

Ren hesitated, looking away as she spoke. "Uh, yeah, sure. The test. It went great… No problems at all."

Miyumi looked at her skeptically. "Ren?"

"Really! Nothing happened…"

"You had trouble bending again, didn't you?"

Ren let out a great sigh and began flicking the edge of the teacup absently. "I don't know what it is. When I'm by myself or around you, I do fine. But when I'm in front of the instructor, I just lose my nerve. All the forms…the stances. Everything you taught me. I feel like it just leaked out of the back of my head, like a cracked egg." Ren drooped forward and sank her head into her arms, a pout on her face.

Miyumi smiled and ruffled her sister's sandy hair playfully, disturbing it even further. Ren had always had problems earthbending, ever since they were both little. Two years ago, Miyumi had even begun to tutor Ren, showing her everything she'd learned in the earthbending academy in Ba Sing Se. For a while, Ren seemed to pick up on it, but when put under any kind of formal test, she always fell flat on her face.

"Oh, come on, sis. Don't be so grumpy. I got enough of that today, believe me. Besides, I'm positive you'll get over it with time."

Miyumi looked like she was about to continue, but she noticed something over her sister's shoulder. Ren caught the look and asked, "What is it?"

"It's those two guys over there." She nodded toward the opposite side of the teashop. "They've been watching us all night, and now they're on their way over here."

Ren peeked over her shoulder to see what exactly she was talking about. There were indeed two boys, both casually walking through the crowded shop toward where they were seated. This new development coaxed a groan from Ren. "Oh man….you don't think they're going to hit on us, do you?"

"Us? Oh no. They're just going to hit on _you_."

"What?" Ren blurted out loudly, drawing a few stares from the surrounding tables. "Why just me?"

"Well, for one, they look to be about your age-sixteen, maybe older- making me about six years too old for them, and two, the way the tall guy in the front is eyeing you… well, I'd say it's just peachy."

Ren glared at her, but hid it well enough the moment the boys reached their table. The one in front was large and muscular, with short hair and a wide chin. Behind him was another boy, smaller than the first and with hair that hung lazily past his shoulders, but he had the same smug grin as his friend. The larger boy spoke first. "Hey there."

"Hi," Ren said, a slight hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I saw you at the trials today. You looked good," he said, leaning in a little too close as he did.

"Yeah, thanks," she replied curtly.

The smaller boy laughed and whispered to his larger counterpart, "Tough girl."

"That's fine with me, Hidei," he said, facing his friend, as if the girls were suddenly no longer there. He turned back to Ren, a mischievous look in his eye. "I like a challenge."

Across the table, Miyumi had a hard time keeping a straight face, putting a hand over her mouth in order to shield an uncontrollable smile. "Oh, would you look at that," she said, pointing innocently at her teacup. "I'm all out of ginseng. I'll just go to the counter and fetch us both some more." She quickly slid out of the booth and scampered off, giggling silently as she did.

By this time, Ren's face was beginning to turn bright red, more out of anger than embarrassment. She slowly turned back to the boys. "Let me make this easy for you: the answer is no."

"Alright, this may be a little harder than I thought. But I'd like to think I'm a patient guy when it comes to these kinds of situations." He leaned closer, resting his arm on the wall behind Ren and narrowing the already uncomfortable distance between them. Under the table and away from view, Ren's hands were balled into tightly clenched fists_. I swear_, Ren thought, _if this guy leans forward one more inch…_

"I heard there was a party over at Chora's Den," he said before she could finish her thought.

"Great. Have a nice time."

"Oh, come on," he egged. "Don't give me the cold shoulder. I promise, it'll be fun."

"If I wanted to have fun at a club," Ren said through gritted teeth,"I would have gone there _myself_."

"Well, maybe you just haven't found the right guy yet…"

"Need some help leaving, Toya?"

Almost immediately, everyone shifted around to see the latest newcomer. He was average-sized, taller than Ren and Hidei, but shorter than Toya. He was incredibly well-groomed; his hair was combed straight back, accentuating a handsome face and two strikingly green eyes. Ren was incredibly relieved, if only because she no longer held Toya's attention.

Toya sighed in exasperation. He stepped right up to the boy, standing almost a foot taller than him and a few inches wider in the shoulders. "You know, Koda, any other day, I would have put up with you. But today, you caught me in a bad mood," he growled. It wasn't hard for Ren to tell that these two had a history together, and it wasn't the kind filled with sunflowers and rainbows.

"Not even going to talk it over, eh? " His smile widened, his chin held up high. _This guy is really cocky_, Ren thought. _Does he _want_ to start a fight? _"So I guess we should take this outside?"

"Why not right here?" Toya said and before the boy could respond, Toya had slammed his fist deep into his stomach. Koda quickly fell to his knees, his arms wrapped around his midsection. The entire shop seemed to silence at once, turning their attention to the boy balling on the floor. The busboy, who had unfortunately been standing right behind him, jumped back, startled, and the tray he'd been carrying slipped out of his grasp. A dozen teacups shattered on the hard, wooden floor.

Koda struggled to get back to his feet, still grimacing from the hit. "Geez, Toya," he rasped out, still trying to regain his wind but managing a cocky smile. "That wasn't exactly fair. Where's your sportsmanship?"

Toya answered him with an upper cut, this one landing directly under Koda's chin. Koda reeled back, losing his balance, and smashed into a table. Around them, some people had begun to pick up their things, hoping for a hasty exit. Others stayed rooted to their seats. There wasn't much to do in the outer ring of Ba Sing Se; a good brawl would be the highlight of the week for many.

Toya stood triumphantly, rubbing his knuckles, a bit sore from connecting with the harder bones of the jaw. But he smiled through the pain, knowing that the other boy was hurting so much more. "How's that for sportsmanship?"

Just then, he felt subtle tapping on his shoulder. He turned and saw that it was the short girl from the booth who he had attempted to charm. His gazed dropped to her hands. One was wrapped tightly around the other, moving the knuckles with several satisfying pops.

Ren smiled wickedly. "Thanks."

"Thanks for what?" said Toya, confused.

"For giving me a reason."

His eyes widened as suddenly she cocked her wrist, twisting her entire upper-body back. Before he could react, she snapped forward, transferring all the energy in her body from her fist to his cheek. Now Toya was the one sent reeling, the surprisingly forceful blow turning him completely around. He landed face first on the hard wood floor.

Soon after, she heard fast, light foot falls quickly closing in at her back. She guessed were the attacker would strike, and ducked low. Just in time too, as Hidei's knee came soaring in over Ren's head, missing by inches. Not stopping for even a moment, Ren twisted in her crouched position and came around, now facing Hidei's front, throwing her forearm toward his neck. He seemed to anticipate the move though and dodged the attack. Following the dodge, he roughly grabbed her by the shoulders. Pulling her forward, he launched his knee into her stomach. Ren took the hit and seemed to groan in pain. However, Hidei quickly realized that she was laughing. She looked at him.

"I'm glad to see you don't have reservations about hitting a girl. That being said, you're still gonna have to hit a bit harder." Ren punctuated her point by head-butting the boy on his nose.

With both Toya and his friend trying to regain their wits, Ren casually walked over to Koda, who was still sprawled over the floor next to the over-turned table. "You all right?"

He was still dazed as she helped him to his feet. He rubbed his chin delicately, which had been cut slightly, and he try to balance himself. After partially regaining his senses he stared at Ren. "Thanks. You didn't need to do that."

Ren gave an annoyed puff. "Look, Koda—that's your name right?—I don't know you, but I do know when the odds are stacked unfairly. Besides, it's been too long since I've had a good scrap and that guy was asking for it."

"Well, thanks all the same," said Koda, brushing off his clothes.

"No time for talk. Looks like those guys are coming for round two."

Indeed, Toya and his friend had risen from their respective falls and were regaining focus." Oh, boy," said Koda. "I thought they looked angry before…"

"Oh come on, ya pansy," Ren chided. "You started this whole thing anyway; it's only fair that you help finish it. Now, unless you have any preferences, I'm taking the big guy. Oh and a warning: I like to fight dirty, so you may want stay at least ten feet from wherever I'm doing my thing."

Koda looked at her like she was carrying some sort of flesh-eating, highly contagious disease." You actually _want_ to fight them?"

"You _don't_?"

Koda switched his gaze back to the boys, who were now approaching them cautiously. "Look, if you're really serious, we should probably take this into the street. Think you can lead him outside?"

Ren pondered for a moment. Toya, thinking her distracted, sprinted toward her with all the force his body could handle, his shoulder leading the way. Unfortunately for him, Ren already had a plan.

Waiting till Toya was just a few feet away, Ren grabbed a chair from a nearby table and hurled it at Toya's legs. The impact shattered the chair, but it was more than enough for Toya to lose his stride and trip. Ren quickly stepped to her left, clearing the path to the tea shop entrance. Unable to halt his momentum, Toya couldn't help but crash through. The door splintered easily under his weight, and he spilled out into the city streets.

Ren followed Toya out the door, who was already back up and extremely red in the face. As she entered the street, she threw her head back and took a moment to breathe in the sweet, summer air. She looked at Toya, smiling.

"Must be pretty embarrassing to be taken down by girl _twice_," Ren teased. She put her hands up in a fighting stance. "Ready for round three?"

Toya grunted off the insult, but suddenly smiled. "Of course I'm ready. I underestimated you twice, but now I've got the advantage."

Believing him to be bluffing, Ren laughed. "Really? How do you figure that?"

"Simple: the teashop is completely made of wood. But out here," he swept his arms above him, motioning to the entire street," I can use my earthbending."

_Crap,_ she thought. _Of course he's an earthbender! He was at the Dai Li preliminaries. Inside, he was easy enough to handle, but out here… Was I really stupid enough to bring him outside? _

Hot, burning denial flowed through Ren. She'd had enough. Dashing forward, Ren closed half the twenty foot distance between herself and Toya in less than a second. But Toya was already one step ahead of her. He stomped the ground, splitting the street and sending a large fissure slithering up toward Ren's position. Suddenly, the ground exploded in a cloud of dust and gravel where Ren had been standing. She had barely enough time to dodge, but the attack didn't end there. Toya followed through with a complex series of stomps and throws, sending even more rocky projectiles down the street. Constantly moving, Ren was able to keep out of harm's way by predicting the general direction he was throwing the stones. She was also able to throw the stones somewhat off course with her own earthbending, but not by much. Each stone was still a near-miss and the task required the entirety of her focus.

A shrill, familiar voice broke her rhythm. "Ren, what the hell are you doing!"

Ren's concentration broke, and she immediately glanced to the source of the voice. It was her sister, looking angrier than she'd ever seen her before. She also spotted an older man, who had a look of worry on his face. Where had she seen him before? Toya saw her falter, and immediately took advantage, kicking up a large chunk of the street, and punched it toward Ren. She could only brace herself as the stone hit, connecting with her left hip and sending her sprawling. She got back up quickly, but immediately winced, her leg shot full of stabbing pain.

Eager to finish the fight and seeing that Ren no longer had the ability to dodge effectively, Toya summoned another boulder from the ground and hurled it. All Ren could do was close her eyes as the boulder sped towards her. She thought of the crash, the impact and the sharp pain that she felt in her leg, which would soon be felt in her face, only much worse. She waited and then…

A thunderous explosion rattled the street. Intense heat washed over her face and an unseen force swept her hair back. She opened her eyes to see Toya, standing in the exact same position he had been just a moment ago, only now he had the same confused expression as she did.

"I think this has gone on long enough," said a stern and yet collected voice. It came from the older man who was standing beside Miyumi. Ren saw that his fist was outstretched, smoke dissipating from his knuckles. She recognized him now as Mr. Iroh, the owner of the teashop. This came as quite a shock to Ren; she had no idea Mr. Iroh was a firebender. He spoke again, "I'll ask you both to please stop this now and return home."

Both combatants glared at each other for a moment, but both seemed to accept the fight was done.

"Come on, Hidei. We're leaving," said Toya.

Hidei scrambled out the shop, cradling a bleeding nose and looking a bit ruffled, but otherwise unhurt. The boy he had fought against, Koda, ambled after him in much worse shape. He had an ugly bruise on his forehead and was clutching his side. And just like that, it was over. Toya and Hidei disappeared down the street and Ren limped back to the teashop entrance. Miyumi waited for her there. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her foot tapped impatiently.

"Is this really what happens when I leave you alone for _five minutes_? Not only do you wreck my favorite teashop but you destroy half the city street! I was just playing around when I left you with those guys; I didn't think you'd get into a full-on brawl with them!" Miyumi angrily brushed a few strands of hair from her eyes. "I thought you were done with this crap. It really is petty, Ren, you _know_ that."

"At least I didn't throw the first punch this time."

Before Miyumi could respond, Iroh chimed in, "Yes, about the tea shop…"

Miyumi spun around to face Iroh. "Oh, Mr. Iroh! I want to say that I'm terribly sorry on behalf of my sister. She really does feel awful about this mess." Miyumi looked at Ren, who just stood in silence. After several moments, Miyumi nudged her sister. "Right, Ren?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Sorry," she said, a little half-heartedly.

Iroh nodded. "Apology accepted. But that still doesn't change the state of my shop. Repairs will be costly and it'll take days before the shop is back in proper condition."

Miyumi thought hard for a moment. She smiled and snapped her fingers. "Well work it off!"

Ren shot her sister an incredulous look. "What!?" she said, but was cut short when Miyumi nudged her in the shoulder again, this time considerably harder. "Ouch!"

"Like I said, me and my sister would gladly work for you until our debt is repaid. It's the least we can do."

Iroh eyes immediately lit up. "Fantastic! I'll get the mops!" He turned and dashed inside.

After he had disappeared back into the shop, Ren turned back on her sister. "_Work it off? _I'm not sure if you remember sis, but Dai Li training starts _tomorrow_. We won't have time for a job!"

"We don't have a choice, Ren. We obviously can't pay off the debt ourselves and I don't think mom has that kind of money either. This is the only option."

Turning away, Ren puffed in frustration."Whatever."

"Sis, if you had any clue who that was, maybe you would have shown a little respect. I think it would be an honor to work under him."

Ren scratched her head, confused. "What's there to know? Mr. Iroh owns a teashop and likes to play Pai Sho. That's about it."

Miyumi's expression changed, seeming to forget the trouble Ren had caused. "Wait—you mean you don't know?"

"Know what?"

Leaning in close and cupping her hand over her mouth, she whispered, "Mr. Iroh is the _Dragon of the West_."


	3. Two: Long Walk Home

**A/N: **Thanks again for the reviews, with a special thanks to OmniSchreiber for his especially in-depth analysis. Much appreciated!

**Chapter Two: Long Walk Home**

The rigid bristles of a broom swept backward and forward over the cobblestone road, clearing the last remaining splinters of the Jasmine Dragon's door, which had been so ungraciously torn open just an hour ago. It was almost midnight and a half-moon hung lazily in the sky, providing barely enough light to finish the work. Ren leaned casually on the handle of her broom and wiped the sweat from her brow, not particularly thrilled with the situation thrust upon her by her over-apologetic sister, but still content with a job well done. _Jeez. That door must've split into a thousand different pieces, _Ren mused. _That Toya kid might need to lose some weight…_

"All finished up?" said Miyumi, coming out the shop entrance. She hefted a soggy mop over her shoulder. A few dark splotches could be seen on her nice dress from the various spilled drink she had cleaned, but she didn't seem too concerned.

"Yes, _ma'am_," Ren said snidely. "Want me to shine your shoes as well?"

"Knowing you, Ren, you're more likely to rip my shoes off and stomp them into mulch before you shine them," she teased. "Besides, I need you to take care of one more thing for the night."

"Which is?"

She thumbed to the front wall of the tea shop. "Could you take that guy home?"

Koda, the "guy" she was referring to, was still slumped against the front of the tea shop in a motionless heap. His head lulled lazily back and forth, his mind somewhere between wakefulness and sleep. Several rips in his clothing complemented the plethora of bruises covering his arms, legs, and face.

"Why?" asked Ren. "He'd know his way back home better than I would."

"Oh come on, Ren," Miyumi pleaded. "The poor kid can't even stand up straight. I just want you to make sure he doesn't get mugged or anything. You know how dangerous the streets get at night. Just take the kid home; I'll finish up cleaning here and I promise I'll meet you back home in an hour, 'kay?" She patted her little sister on the head and smiled before walking back inside the teashop, mop in tow.

Snorting, Ren turned and faced the boy slumped against the wall, who was now starting to drift off, and limped over to his side, her hip still throbbing from when it had been hit by Toya's boulder. Deciding it was faster to just get to the point, Ren nudged him roughly with her foot. "Come on, buttercup. It's not getting any earlier and you're cutting into _my_ sack time." When he didn't even attempt to budge an inch, Ren looped her arm under his and forced him into a stand, eliciting a groan from Koda.

"Owwwwuch. Alright, alright, I'm goin'. Just watch the ribs…"

Ren gave a satisfactory smile. "That's more like it. Now, where does your scrawny butt live?"

*****

An unusually cool breeze swept in from up high as Ren shuffled through the streets and alleys of Ba Sing Se with Koda, the boy using Ren's arm to support his own steps. Most of the street torches had been lit by this time and cast a gentle glow on the avenue that Ren thought went well with the comfortable silence that had settled over the city. She was actually thankful for the peace and quiet for once. For pickpockets, muggers, and various other shady characters, nighttime in Ba Sing Se was a safe haven for dirty dealings. Ren guessed it had something to do with the city itself; with a population well over several million, the immense city just didn't have enough of a security force to cover even half the streets.

Unconsciously, Koda snuggled closer to Ren for extra warmth against the wind. Very consciously, Ren shoved him back a few inches. "Not so close," growled Ren. She sniffed and then crinkled her nose, overwhelmed by the repugnant smell of strong alcohol. "Ugh... you smell terrible. Were you _drinking_?"

"Hmm?" said Koda sleepily. "What, me? Drink? No, of course not. My parents would kill me. I fell into some sake when Toya punched me into that table."

"Wouldn't surprise me either way. You might as well have thrown yourself into his punches."

Koda winced at her comment. "It looked that bad, huh?"

"I just don't get why you would step in like that when you can't fight worth crap."

"It seemed like he was bothering you," Koda said. "Toya can get pretty annoying sometimes. I would know; I went through eight years of primary school with him."

"If you don't like him so much, why don't you just avoid him?" asked Ren, genuinely curious. "It's not like you ever have to see him again."

Koda sighed in displeasure. "Oh, how I wish _that_ were the case. Graduation was one of the best days of my life. It meant I didn't have deal with all the smug comments and occasional beatings. Then my father signed me up for the Dai Li. When I saw Toya there, I tried to get out of it. But my dad wouldn't have. He said it was too valuable an opportunity to pass up. Said it builds character."

Koda stood up straight and puffed out his chest in imitation. He spoke in a deep voice. "' Being a part of the service was one of the best decisions I ever made! Just look at the man I am today: tough, intelligent, and studded with medals! I even met your mother on the frontlines. Ah, she was such a beauty back then. And I owe it all to the service. I hear these Dai Li people are the best of the best and that's what you deserve, my boy. Only the best!'"

After his speech, Koda seemed to lose his balance and collapsed. Ren jumped forward and was able catch him before he could hit the ground, heaving at the strain his dead-weight. The effort caused another spike of pain through her injured hip, but she shrugged it off and propped him back up against her shoulder. "Are you sure you don't have a concussion or something?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Koda insisted, though Ren wasn't completely convinced. "I think we need to take it a little slower though." After the pair adjusted their pace to an even slower crawl, Koda continued. "Where was I? Oh right, the Dai Li…"

"Hold up a sec," Ren put in, raising her hand up. "You're in the Dai Li…" Koda nodded. "…and so is Toya. And myself. And my sister. Was there anyone at the Jasmine Dragon who _wasn't_ a candidate? I mean seriously, was Toya's friend…"

"Actually yes. Hidei signed up as well." Koda smiled, to Ren's disbelief. "Small world, eh? I used to be friends with him as too. Nice kid, bit quiet though. Never spoke more than a few words at a time. But then he started hanging with Toya and he changed."

There was another long period of silence before either of them said anything. As they walked, they passed by the Fire Nation embassy, a tall, bright red and gold building with spiked spires that stabbed at the night sky. It contrasted greatly with the square aesthetic of most other Earth Kingdom structures, which mirrored the feelings that most Earth Kingdom citizens felt towards it. The embassy had been built to help develop the new unity between the two nations, but it was almost having an opposite effect. Citizens sometimes spat in disgust at its stones as they walked by and gave no respect to visiting dignitaries. The hate was like a young boy's open wound, one he would refuse to bandage and would pick at daily, never allowing it time to heal, and it was a sentiment that Ren carried completely.

When Ren glanced back at Koda, she noticed he was staring dizzily at her face. It took Ren a moment to realize that it must've been the thumb-sized scar across her nose he was gawking at. "It was a knife."

"Excuse me?" Koda said, shaking out of his stupor.

"A knife made this," she said, indicating the faded mark. "I was out late one night, past curfew. I was supposed to meet my sister at her guard post so she could walk me home—she was still a city guard when this happened. But I was too busy exploring the streets. I'd never been in the outer-ring and it was like nothing I'd ever seen before: dank, dirty, but so full of life." Ren sighed and took a moment to reminisce on that night. A second later she snapped back to the present.

"Anyway, I realized I was late and took a short-cut to the guard post. As fortune would have it, it was that one night that I got jumped in an alley on the way there by three guys, one with a knife. He asked for my valuables, I told him to shove it, and he didn't take that very well." She mimicked holding a knife in her hand, swiping forward at the air. "If I hadn't been so quick, it might have been worse."

Koda nodded. "Then when happened?"

"Luckily, that's just when big sis decided to show up. The thugs weren't expecting a rescue and hadn't bothered to watch their backs for anyone, city guards especially, and before they knew, all three were pinned under a few hundred pounds of earth." Ren sniffed, and added, "Coulda taken 'em myself if I wanted."

"Wow. Your sister sounds like quite the girl," said Koda.

Ren shrugged in response. "We've always been close. I would've done the same for her."

At long last, Koda gave the signal to halt. "You can stop now; this would be my abode."

Ren halted in front of a very elaborately made gate guarding an even more elaborately decorated garden. Several large bushes were cut into various animals, landmarks, even people, and were set along the pathway. A fountain, at least thirty feet in circumference, stood in the middle, brilliantly reflecting the dozen or so colored torches set around the sides. If one looked long enough, they might confuse the sparkling water of the fountain with the twinkling stars of the sky.

"Nice lawn."

"Really? I thought it was a bit overdone. Dad loves it though." Koda fished through his pockets until he found a small key, which he inserted into the gate's lock. With a small click, the gate swung open, but Koda didn't leave. He stood for a moment, and then looked back at Ren, sincerity filling his large, green eyes.

"Hey, uh, I just wanted to say thanks. For helping me out, I mean. You didn't need to get involved in my fight."

Ren stared for a second, not expecting this, and then quickly averted her eyes. "Oh, well yeah. No big deal. He had it coming anyway."

"That he did. And by the way, it would probably be in both of our best interests if we keep our little scuffle on the DL."

She stared at him blankly with a perplexed expression. "The…_'DL'_?

Koda stared right back at her skeptically. "You're not serious, are you?" Seeing that she was, he sighed and shook his head. "It means don't go spreading the story around."

"Why? What's wrong with a little fight?"

"These military-type people look down on fights," said Koda. "They see them as signs of undisciplined soldiers. I would know, my dad was…"

"A soldier," Ren finished for him. "Yeah, I got that."

"Right, well, I guess I'll see tomorrow at for training then."

"Yeah." At that, Ren turned her back, but Koda blurted out, "You know, we could be friends!" Ren turned back to face him, staring curiously. "It'd be nice to have someone to count on during training. I hear it's some of the hardest stuff you can go through."

Standing awkwardly in the middle of the street, Ren quickly came up with an answer. "Uh, sure. That sounds…fine."

"Great… I'll see you there, then."

"Yeah."

"Tomorrow."

"Yep."

"At the headquarters building."

"I'll be there."

"Have a nice walk."

"Will do."

"Alrighty then."

"I'm leaving."

"Yeah, that's probably best."

Ren quickly turned and started down the road, still limping, hoping to get away from the awkwardness. This whole night had been strange, she decided. She heard the clang of the gate closing behind her and footsteps rapidly walking away. _Koda. _

Ren chuckled to herself quietly. "What a weirdo."

***

The following morning, Ren and Miyumi stood together, staring down the unimpressive headquarters building of the Dai Li. It was, for lack of a better adjective, bland. Its architecture was strictly rectangular and was covered in the same, pallid shade of beige. There wasn't a single piece of decoration or flair to distinguish the building from the dozens of other warehouses that lined the street.

"This place definitely needs a decorator," said Miyumi. "Well, no use standing around. Coronation starts in ten minutes, so let's…"

"Girls? Girls, is that you?" said a high-pitched squeak behind them. "It is! Oh, thank the spirits I found you!"

Ren recognized the voice immediately and buried her face in her palm. "Oh boy…"

The sisters turned round to see their mother, dashing up the street toward them. Ren and Miyumi's mother was a surprisingly round woman when compared to her thinner daughters. Her tiny eyes were filled with obnoxious tears which streamed down her rosy cheeks that didn't show any sign of abating. She jumped up, wrapping her arms around the necks of both her children and smothering them to her breast.

"It's okay, Mom," Miyumi said, her voice muffled under her mother's crushing embrace. "We'll be _fine_."

"Yeah, Mom. We already said our goodbyes, remember? You were crying for an hour and a half."

"I know, I know," the portly woman sobbed. "I haven't stopped. I just wanted to see you one last time."

"Mom, we'll see you next week. We get a free day every week. We've mentioned this three times…"

But this just seemed to make her hold them even tighter. Just when Ren thought that she'd run out of oxygen, her mother finally released her and her sister. The flowing river of tears was now only a trickle and she spoke again, as serious as she possibly could, given her state. "Now, you take care of your sister, you hear? Never leave her behind and always look out for each other." Ren thought that this kind of comment would be directed to Miyumi, the elder sibling and the responsible one, but her mother seemed to be including her just as much as her sister.

"Will do, Mom," said Miyumi.

"Sure thing," promised Ren as much as she promised herself.

Their mother wiped her eyes and looked at them. Both Ren and Miyumi were able to see the swelling pride she had for them. "Your father would be so proud."

At the mention of their father, the sisters looked away and began shifting uneasily. _That's right_, the mother thought. _It's been four years and they're still hurting_. She quickly changed the subject. "Well, go on now. You mustn't keep them waiting!" After giving them each one last suffocating hug, she took something out her pocket. She held out two necklaces, each carrying a small, sapphire colored stone in the middle.

"What's this?" Miyumi asked.

"They're ram-trout tears. Legend says that the whenever a ram-trout weeps, it only cries two tears. Whenever one of you is hurt or separated from the other, these tears can help you find your way back together."

Ren raised an eyebrow. "You got these from that sketchy pawn-shop owner, didn't you?"

"No more time to talk!" said her mother as she shooed them both to the door. "You're going to be late!"

"See ya, Mom," Miyumi said as she led her sister through the front door. "We'll visit you next Thursday. Don't worry too much!" When they were inside, a lethargic desk clerk pointed them down a bare hallway, where she said they were to fall in with the rest of the trainees. "Sure was nice of Mom to see us off," she said, fingering the necklace around her neck as they strolled quickly down the bare hallway.

"Yeah_, __twice_. I really think she overdid it with the tacky trinkets, though."

"Tacky? I think they're cute."

"Whatever."

"Anyway, sis, I need you to do something for me." Miyumi stopped her sister and bent over a little, looking her right in her eyes. Her voice suddenly had a deathly serious tone. "I need you do to do exactly as I say, when I say it, without fail, even if you don't exactly agree with it. These people are harsh and will rip you apart if you make a mistake, but you need to stay strong."

"Don't worry about it, sis, I'll be fine…"

"_Promise_ me then," pressed Miyumi. "_Swear_ to me. Do you swear, Ren?"

"I swear."

Content with her answer, Miyumi continued down the hallway. Ren stared at her sister's back for a moment, contemplating her strange change in tone for a moment, before realizing that she would be late if she dawdled any longer and rushed to catch up.

While at Miyumi's back, she allowed her limp to be more pronounced. She didn't know exactly why she still shielded her injury from her sister's eyes, but it might have had something to do with pride. Or the thought that having an over-reacting sister fussing over her wound was worse than the wound itself. Ren decided it was the latter.

Finally, the two entered a fairly large room where they found the rest of the twenty-eight trainees, each standing in two lines of ten and one line of eight. Silence permeated the room, giving it an almost chilling mood. Ren quickly scanned the recruits, standing rigid and expressionless at their positions, and she saw to her disappointment, but not necessarily to her surprise, twenty-eight boys. Ren and her sister were the only girls who made the cut. She quickly spotted the bulky Toya, and the tops of Koda and Hidei's heads as well. Koda noticed them and waved enthusiastically. Ren returned the gesture (though with a bit less spunk) as the two sisters quickly slid into positions at the front of the formation before a commanding voice spoke up.

"Settle down, cadets!" a tall man with an eye patch shouted at the silent room. "I'm going to make this as brief as possible because we all have much to accomplish. As most of you may already know, I'm Lieutenant Tai Sen, second in command in this program and head instructor. You do what I say, when I say it, and I think we'll get along famously. "

He held up a hand and gestured to two passages to either side of him. "To your far right are the barracks. You'll be sleeping there for the entirety of your training so I'd suggest you get comfy with it. To your far left is the mess hall. That's where you'll eat and spend any free time, if, by the spirits' good graces, you get any. Then there's this room and the other immediate classrooms lining the hallways. Any of the more physical instruction will be handled here."

He glanced at the crowd, thirty sets of eyes gazing back. "There will be four classes a day for each trainee. Based on the test scores of your entrance exams, you'll be placed in certain classes that will maximize your strengths and reduce the margin of weakness."

Ren swore under her breath. '_Reduce the margin of weakness'? _she repeated to herself. _I'm guessing_ _that means more sorry attempts at earthbending. Yippee._

"Now, before you are dismissed, I'd like to ask something of a few specific trainees." His eyes singled out one boy. "Cadet Koda!" he called, his voice changed from a bored lecture to a sharp bark. "Step forward."

There was a second of stillness. Ren, not daring to take her eyes off the lieutenant, imagined that Koda was still processing that it was his name that had been called and not some other Koda. Then she heard a scrambling of shoes against tile and Koda frantically broke through the front-most line to stand in front of Tai Sen. "Uh, yes… sir?

"I'd like to inquire as to how you got those cuts and bruises," Tai Sen said.

"The cuts? Um, yeah, well…" Koda eyes searched the floor, his mind frantic." You see, I ran into a nasty cat on the way home last night. Thing nearly scratched my face off."

"Indeed. Have to watch out for those felines, right cadet?"

"Uh…yeah. I mean yes. Yes, _sir_."

The Lieutenant glanced away from him back to the rest of the trainees, their eyes still motionless. "Cadet Hidei, please step forward."

Hidei stepped forward casually. A bandage crisscrossed his nose, which Ren had presumably broken the previous night. "Sir?"

"I'd like to ask what happened," he said, tapping his own nose.

"Low branch," he said curtly. "Wasn't looking."

"I see. Cadet Ren, could you step forward as well?"

Ren stepped forward cautiously. "Yes, sir?"

"Why the limp?"

Ren stiffened. She was both frustrated and amazed at once that he had seen through her façade. "I…I fell down some stairs."

Tai Sen arched an eyebrow. "Stairs?"

"Yes, sir. Stairs. Clumsy me."

"Yes, clumsy." He directed the next question to the three in general. "These injuries wouldn't happen to be related, would they?"

"Nope." "No." "No, sir."

"You do realize that while fights are against Dai Li protocol, lying to an officer is a much more severe offense?" The three slowly bobbed their heads up and down, much to the lieutenant's chagrin.

"Fine then. I have one final person to call up." Ren breathed a sigh of relief. _He's going to call Toya. Hopefully, Toya will fib like the rest of us. He'll have no choice but to leave us be; he doesn't have the proof it takes to punish us. _"Senior Cadet Miyumi. Please step forward!"

The color left Ren's face as the blood drained away. _How?! How could he have known Miyumi had been there? She hadn't participated in the fight, and therefore didn't carry any marks like the rest of us. How could he possibly know she was involved?_

Miyumi stepped to the front of the group with the rest of the misfits. "Yes, lieutenant?"

"These cadets tell me that their injuries are, in fact, from separate incidents. I don't believe it one bit, but I would like you to confirm my suspicions." Tai Sen paused for a moment before looking Miyumi right in the eye and speaking again. "Was there or was there not a fight between these trainees?"

At first, Miyumi hesitated, seeming torn between decisions. _Come on, sis,_ Ren pleaded mentally. _If it's anyone who'll stick up for me, it's you… _Miyumi clenched her fists, as if hiding the frustration she felt from showing on her face, and said, "Yes, sir. There was a fight."

Ren couldn't believe her ears.

"I'm assuming all three were involved then?" Tai Sen pressed. Miyumi nodded, a look of pain and betrayal scrawled across her face. "Well then, this definitely puts a damper on the rest of your day," he said, turning back to the rest of the trainees. "Seeing as the three of you are members of the Dai Li, you should know there should _never, _under _any_ circumstance, be any physical conflict between agents. Furthermore, lying in the face of an officer is not only unacceptable, it's insulting. As such, the _entire _trainee class will be taking a little jog around the circumference of the inner ring tonight. Approximately fifteen miles."

Several painful groans were heard from the lines, while others just stood silent in shock. "This work out will continue every night until I see fit," continued Tai Sen, rising over the dissent. He nodded to Koda, Hidei, and Ren. "Those of you who are injured will need to see our resident medic before you start your exercise. I want you boys and girls especially to be in tip-top shape for the run; I expect you to be leading it."

Tai Sen turned his back to thirty furious cadets as he walked toward the exit. One boy was unable to hold his tongue that long, however. "This…this isn't fair!" he yelled. "Why are we being punished for some stupid fight those other guys had? It just isn't fair!"

Tai Sen halted, the boy's words seeming to hang in the air for a moment. He then spun around, a fierce look on his face. "Which one of you said if that?" he said with a dangerous growl. The crowd of cadets quickly dispersed, shuffling to either side of the room, revealing a skinny, pale, frightened looking boy. His wide eyes shifted nervously from his fellow cadets to Tai Sen, who slowly approached him with a menacing gait. Tai Sen locked eyes with him for a moment before screaming, "Fair? **Fair**? You think it's fair that we have to pay taxes to fix the damage the Fire Nation to other cities when we still have problems of our own? You think it's fair that my eye was taken from me and now I have problems with depth perception? No cadet, of course it's not fair! Welcome to the real damn world!"

The boy was scared stiff, shaking uncontrollably as Tai Sen continued his speech to the rest of the cadets. "There are three things you need to know under my command! Firstly, you will _always_ call me sir. After every damn sentence that comes out of your sorry mouths. I don't care if you're asking what flavor of tea I want. Second, you will _always_ follow my orders, to the letter. No deviation. Lastly, you will not question my orders. _Ever_. If you do, the penalties will be swift and exact. Got it?"

There wasn't a peep from a single person as the lieutenant stared them down. Ren had felt a little intimidated when she'd first seen Tai Sen, his commanding demeanor and his soldier's stature both very imposing. But now that she saw a bit of a different side of him, a much less stable side, she realized she'd have to tread carefully if she was going to make it through this. _No more mistakes._

"No, it's not fair," said Tai Sen repeated, turning to the door. "But you're in the Dai Li now. That means we do things as a team. So I'd expect these nightly outings to continue for as long as your team plans on being stupid." Before exiting, Tai Sen's anger broke, and he chuckled. "Oh, and have fun with the jog. The weather's just lovely this time of year."


End file.
